Egg inspection device



July 16, 1935. A. scHwARzKoPF EGG INSPECTION DEVICE Filed April 29, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 Adolf llmffzzojvwfm Summa/13 a -ZUC July 16, 1935. A, SCHWARZKOPF 2,008,629

EGG INSPECTION DEVICE Filed April 29, 1953 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patentecl July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES'- '712,008,629 f N y EGG INsPEoTIolxT,l'iiivori Adolf Schwarzkopf, Miami Beach', Fla. v Application April 29, 1933, serial No. $8,639

claimsr (oline-ian Myinvention relates to egg inspection devices, and particularly to a device of this character intended and adapted for use in testing or inspecting a plurality of eggs simultaneously to ascertain= 5 their freshness, purity and character.l I i An object of this invention is to provide a def vice of this character which can befplaced in grocery stores, markets and other places where eggs are sold or handled, and which functionsautomatically to project a ystrong lightvthrough the eggs to-thusjenable the consumer-to de termine exactly the quality of the eggs atv the time of purchase or use. Y v Y Another object is to so construct the device that -as the eggs are fitted in an appropriate receptacle' and are moved into the device the light is automatically projected through theeggs, and as the eggs are removed following the test the light Vwill be automaticallyv extinguished.

which will take a dozen eggs more or-less and,

disposing these to all be readily and clearly' Within the sight and view of the user, :will pro-V ject light strongly and substantiallyevenly.

through all of the eggs at one time, to thus allow a determination of the character of allxofthe. eggs `and a comparison as to the color, .quality and contents. 1

Yet another object is to`provide avdevice of this character which is of simple and inexpensivev construction, and which can be readily and ein-` ciently operated by individual customersor othersV not especially skilled or instructed,v and which; at the same time economizes on the electric current used for illumination, vas the current is con-V -sumed only during the interval when a test is being made. i l l With the above and otherv objects `in view, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art,

4o my invention includes certain novel features ofl construction and combinations Vof parts whichAv 55 Thecase I, which can vbe constructedlof` sheet;

A further object is to provide a testing devicef Figure l is a view4 in front elevation of a de-.-

metal or any other suitable material, is preferably made-to be 'of vsubstantially rectangular form inV plan-and Yhas an opening 2 through one side f thereof closedby a door 3 hinged or swingably' mounted atits lower side to open outwardly and downwardly.

-Thetop 4 of the case, which is preferably of pyramidal form, has an opening through. the

middle portion thereof and a viewing tube 5 eX'-,Y

tends upwardly around this opening. The tube Bis-shaped at rits'upper end 6 to substantiallyV conform tothe frontal portion of the head around theieyes 'so that as the head is lowered and the eyes are located -to look downwardlyY through the' tube5 this" edge 6 will substantially conform to the face to lpreclude the penetration of light from the outside `through the`tube 5 into the upper portion of. thecase. This edge 6 is preferablyv rolled over and beaded, as at l, to ease contact'A withthe face and prevent injury, and if desired thisrolled portion might .be covered with suit-l able 'pa'dding,' or otherwise suitably treatedto present anfeasy and pleasant contacting surface oredge; f

wThegopening 2. through the front side of the, caseis formed at an elevation abo-ve the bottom member 8,` and a'partition or shield rest 9 is mounted transversely within the case adjacentv tothe lower side of `opening 2 and at an elevation spaced `above the bottom member 8.V This shelf; or partition portionY 9 has an opening II] formedthrough the middle portion thereof, `and a reflector I Ivis `mounted beneath this opening I0. A supportv I2 is slidably mounted on the uppery side-of the opening I0, and this support `has an` egg Y.tray I3 carried therewith, the egg tray being provided .wtih-a plurality of egg receiving cupsy orresvts' i4 and being made substantially contin- V OFFICE uousfand opaque in all portions outside of these cupsorirests-M. Inthe present instance I have illustrated a tray I3 having twelve cups or rests- I `4gr oup edfin two parallel lines, to thus take a dozen eggs, but itfis toY be understood thaty a greateror lesser number lof cups or rests can be used..'-.-z`

.'Aglass or other transparent covering I5 is preferablyprovided forthe opening IIJ, and electric. lamp sockets Iliareprovided at one side within the. case to receive and hold electric lamp bulbsl I Igtg be preferably substantially centered between thetworows of egg cups within the tray I3. As o illustrated inV Figure l, itis preferable that theA electriclamp bulbs 'be so centeredand spaced thatv each bulb will substantially directly cast its rays @flight .upon :the lower en ds of two .adjaH-g cent transverse rows of eggs, and thus when the several egg cups or rests III of the tray I3 have eggs therein and the tray is moved to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, Where it is centered to cover the opening I0, the light rays Will be projected substantially directly through cach and every one of the eggs, so that as a party desiring to View the eggs looks through the tube 5 cach egg will be illuminated by light rays projected from the lower side, While al1 light, both artificial and natural, is excluded from theVv upper part of the case, thus insuring maximum and substantially uniform illumination of each of the eggs so that the observer can not only judge as to the contents and interior character of Yeach individual egg, but comparison of the eggs can be readily made for uniformity of color, quality, and other characteristics.

As stated, the slide member I2 carries the tray I3 and this slide member and the tray can be withdrawn through the opening 2 for ready access to the eggs for placement, removal and the like. It is essential that provisionfbe made to insure proper centering of .the tray structure I3 over the opening I0, and desirable that provision be made for uniform withdrawal so that the egg tray is always presented in substantially the same position when outside of the case. Withthis in mind, I provide operating links I8 .pivoted at their upper ends adjacent `the sides of the case I with their lower ends free to swing forward and back adjacent to the ends of the openingv I0. These swinging ends of the links I8 are provided with slotted openings I9 receiving pins `28 associated with the slidingmember I2 and thus as the links I8 are swung .in one direction, as for instance to the right to the full line position illustrated in Fig. 2, the Vslide member I2 will be moved into the case I centering the egg tray I3 thereof over the opening I0; whereas,.when the links I8 are swung to the opposite position, as indica'd by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the slide member will' be moved to extend the eggtray I3 through the opening 2, to thus be completely and freely `accessible from the outside of the case. To 4accomplish this swinging movement of the links I8 automatically, when door I3 is opened and closed, I provide suitable bearing ears 2| Onthe door at points spaced from the hinge mounting thereof, and then pivotally connect operating links 22 with these bearing ears and with the swinging links I8 adjacent to their lower 'slotted ends. With this construction and interconnection, the links I8 are swung to the full line position, referring to Fig. 2, when the door is closed and to the dotted line position when the door 3 is opened, the slidingrnember I2 and the egg tray being consequently and accordingly moved. A slide rest 23 is pref'- erably provided on the inner side of'the doorl 3 tov engage beneath the outer end of the slide mem-v ber I2 and thus support the egg tray I3 in proper elevation when moved to the extended position.

The lamp bulbs I'I will be supplied with electric current from any suitable source, and through any circuit connection, some of the wires of which are indicated at 24. vIt is desirable that the lamp bulbs I1 and the circuit connections thereto be cut out or deenergized, except during V such intervals as the egg tray is completelyrwithin thev case in the full line position shown in Fig. 2, which is the egg testing position, and with this-'in mind I provide a switch structure 25y in suitable connection inv circuit wiring 24 to normally have its parts in the circuit opening position, es best illustrated in Fig. 4. A switch closing-1hand1eor plate 26 is associated with a movable part of the switch 25 and is located within the case to be engaged by a portion of the sliding member I2, or other movable part of the mechanism, so that when the egg tray is in the egg testing position this switch handle or plate 26 is engaged to close the switch and thus energize the lamp bulbs.

With this arrangement, the door 3 serves, when moved to the closed position, to properly center the egg tray and to automatically close the switch to energize the lamp bulbs; and due to the location of the lamp bulbs and the provision of the reflectors, each and every one of the eggs is substantially equally and directly illuminated with out through the opening 2, to give access to the eggs, the supporting rest 23 of the door holds the 'egg tray in properly supported position. A handie 2 1 is preferably provided for easy manipulation operation of the door.

I f desired, shield plates 28 can be provided within the case I over the swinging links I8 and the operating links 22 to thus avoid attracting the eye from a concentrated View upon the eggs and the walls of the upper portion oi' the case might be blackened orotherwise treated to avoid reections and otherwise aid in the visibility or avoid attracting the eye from the eggs. n any event, all of the eggs-.are presented conveniently within a single iield of vision for the eyes when looking down through the open end of tube 5, and all ofthe eggs are substantially equally illuminated ,for ready and efficient comparison of the @.0101` and other characteristics of the eggs` and an inspection opening at the other end provided with a lateral openingV intermediate, an egg tray slidable through said opening to a position within the case intermediate said source oi light and said opening and to a position outside the case to be entirely accessible, a closure for said opening to excludeV outside light when eggs in the tray are being viewed, and a connection between said closure and the eggltray to move said egg tray to the viewing position when the closure is closed and to the extended position when the closure is opened.

2. An egg inspection device comprising, with a oase having illuminating means at one end and an inspection opening at the other end provided with a lateral opening intermediate, an egg tray slidable through said opening to a position within the case intermediate said source of light and said opening and to a position outside the case tofbefentirely accessible, a closure for said opening to exclude outside light when eggs in the tray arebeing viewed, a connection between said closure and the egg tray to move said egg tray to the viewing` position when the closure is. closed and to the extendedV position when the closure is opened, and `means actuated by said tray to render the illuminating means operative only when the egg tray is in a position to be viewed.

3."An egg inspection device comprising, a case having an opening through the upper part thereof, a viewing tube associated with the'opening, a lamp bulb within the case at a point opposite said opening, said case having an opening through the side wall thereof intermediate the viewing opening and the location of the lamp bulb, an egg tray slidable into and from said case through said lateral opening, a door swingably mounted to close said opening, and a link connection from said door to the egg tray to move said egg trayr into the case into viewing position when the door is closed and to withdraw the tray to be completely accessible when the door is opened.

4. An egg inspection device comprising, an upright case having an opening throughits upper portion provided with a viewing tube, a supporting .partition carried transversely within said case spaced from the bottom thereof and provided with an opening in its middle portion, said case having a door opening through one side thereof above said partition, a lamp bulb carried in thev lower part of the caseV beneath the opening of said partition, an egg Ytray slidably mounted on said supporting partition movable to one position to be substantially centered over the opening thereof andl to another position through the door opening to be entirely accessible outside the case,

a door to close said door opening, and link con-l nections from said door to the egg tray to move saidV tray into the case over the opening of the partition thereof and to withdraw the egg tray to be entirely accessible when the door member is opened.

5. An egg inspection device comprising, an upf right case having an opening through its upper portion provided with a viewing tube, a supporting partition carried transversely within said case spaced from the bottom thereof and provided with an opening in its middle portion, said case having a' door opening through one side thereof above said partition, a lamp bulb carried in the lower part of the case beneath the opening of said partition,`an egg tray slidably mounted on said supporting partition movable to one position to be substantially centered over the opening thereof and to another position through the door opening to be entirely accessible outside the case, a door to close said door opening, link connections from said door to the eggvtray to move said tray into the case over the opening of the partition thereof and to withdraw the egg tray to be entirely accessible when the door member is opened, and circuit connections to said lamp bulbs and a switch in said circuit closed by movement of the egg tray into a position for viewing and open otherwise.

ADOLF SCHWARZKOPF. 

